Bakers Journal March 2018 : Page 30

¦ final proof ¦ BY JANE DUMMER, RD BEER INSPIRED BAKING Craft beer and all its complexity makes a great pairing with different types of bread. C raft beer as a drink is obvious; however that same beverage as a fantastic ingredient for both sweet and savoury baking is growing in popularity. Craft beers are diverse and complex with flavours that range from malt and barley to dried fruits and citrus. These flavours that make beer taste good add delicious depth and moisture to breads and sweets. The inactive yeast found in beer works to activate yeast used in breads. The one The inactive yeast in beer is an instigator for the yeast used in breads. common theme is As you start to experiment, Bruyer has the quality of the Beer is accessible, cost effective and low three must-dos to remember. “Beer beer. Be it stout or in alcohol compared to liquor or wine needs to be at room temperature to proof ale, the better the when in the product development stage. properly, never use it cold. The beer will quality of the beer, replace most of the liquids in the recipe, the better the bread. so adjust it accordingly. And the type of low in alcohol compared to liquor or This is one of the many things I was beer and length of fermentation will wine when in the product development taught at the Baking with Beer class affect the colour of the final bake, stage. Baking with beer is all about hosted by Muskoka Brewery and ACE therefore choose wisely depending on experimenting. Shannon Mulligan, Bakery in Toronto last fall. marketing specialist at Muskoka Brewery the bread or sweet you are baking.” As we Julien Bruyer, product development swing into the spring season, Bruyer specialist for ACE Bakery and co-facilita-says “Baking with beer is an economical suggests experimenting with beers with way to explore the interesting flavours tor of the class, says “It’s important to fruity and citrus notes. “I’ve created and complexity of craft beers. Even match the beer to the type of bread. For croissant dough with fruit variety of beer though total beer sales are down, the example, think about the flavour, colour and the flavour was delicious. It was the craft beer segment is up. The LCBO and aroma. For sourdough bread, you perfect taste complement with your want strong ale with a hoppy flavour, and identified in 2015-2016, Ontario craft for sweeter bread you want a stout to add beer remained on trend, with sales rising morning coffee.” The idea of baking with craft beer is to 36 per cent.” a sweet richness.” As a red wine drinker, my beer journey achieve an amalgamation of the flavours. In the class, we used Muskoka’s Hoppy beers are ideal for sour or savoury started with craft beer in Austria in the Harvest Ale for the sourdough bread and breads. Stout beers are perfect for sweeter early 2000s and since then I’ve be open their Shinnicked Stout for the soda breads. This is a wonderful space for to new, unique varieties of local craft bread, both very different but equally existing craft beer drinkers to marry their beers. Mulligan agrees. “We have a scrumptious. Bruyer explains: “For the variety of approachable to complex beers, love of beer with baking and to offer the sourdough bread the ale replaced the opportunity for non-beer drinkers to making it easy to find a beer that can water for the starter, which gave the explore the quality ingredient of craft beer become your favourite. Due to this, our bread the aromas and flavours of that in their baking. Follow Bruyer’s simple target market is becoming larger. Baking beer. We experimented and found a suggestions, stay inspired and keep with beer is an opportunity for non-beer longer fermentation of five hours experimenting with quality craft beer to drinkers to enjoy the craft beer in a food resulted in a nice dark bake with a crisp bring your baking to a new delicious texture on the outside and a soft chew on while becoming more comfortable the flavours, colours and aromas. / BJ flavours and aromas. Our top baking the inside. For the soda bread, the grains beers are Shinnicked Stout, Harvest Ale and seeds were soaked in the oatmeal and Winterweiss. And we encourage based Shinnicked Stout for 24 hours Jane Dummer, RD (www.janedummer.com), resulting in a full body flavour perfect for experimenting and having fun with known as the Pod to Plate Food Consultant, baking to find the beer that best matches collaborates and partners with the food and pairing with aged cheddar or salmon.” your final bread or sweets.” Beer is accessible, cost effective and nutrition industry across North America. } 30 BAKERS JOURNAL / MARCH 2018 www.bakersjournal.com